ROCKINGHAM — A fast start at the plate, coupled with a complete game shutout on the mound, propelled the junior varsity Richmond Renegades to a series-opening win on Monday.
Beginning their second three-game set in Central Carolina Scholastic Summer League play, the JV Renegades defeated Western Harnett 13-0 in five innings.
Richmond rode the momentum of rising freshman pitcher Landon Taylor, who pitched the entire game and allowed just four hits, one walk and struck out seven batters.
At the dish, the JV Renegades scored four runs in the first, two more in the second and put an exclamation point at the end with seven runs in the fourth inning.
“We wanted to come out and swing at pitches in the strike zone and have command of what is a strike and what isn’t,” head coach Corey Wallace explained. “And we did that really well today throughout the whole game.
“Scoring four runs in the first was a big momentum push for us and a momentum killer for the other team.”
Richmond collected nine hits in the win across seven different players and drew nine walks. Rising sophomores Damon Bryant and Cain Hunsucker led the way with two hits each.
Rising sophomore Damon Bryant watches as one of his two hits reaches the outfield grass during Monday’s win. (Kyle Pillar)
In the bottom of the first with one out, Bryant reached on a single to center, rising sophomore Vance Goodwin drew a walk and Hunsucker beat out a bunt single to load the bases. A passed ball allowed Bryant to score the first run of the game.
In the next at-bat, rising sophomore Zane Searcy recorded an RBI groundout, plating Goodwin from third. A two-out walk to rising sophomore Davis Faw put runners on the corners and he stole second to get into scoring position.
A wild pitch by Western Harnett skipped to the backstop, allowing both Hunsucker and Faw to race home to make it a 4-0 advantage.
Following a 1-2-3 inning by Taylor on the mound, Richmond used a walk and an error to score two more runs to start the bottom of the second.
Rising freshman Sam Thompson led off with a walk and stole second, and scored in the next at-bat when fellow rising freshman Mason Murray reached on an error. That same throwing error allowed Murray to reach third, who scored a pitch later on a passed ball.
Taylor faced just four batters in the top of the third and pitched his way out of a two-on, two-out jam in the fourth.
“Landon has been pitching really well for us and he’s got good command of his stuff,” Wallace said. “He throws a lot of strikes, which is what we want him to do to allow the defense to work behind him.
“He’s done a very good job of hitting his spots and being knowledgeable about what’s going on in the game.”
Rising freshman lefty Landon Taylor throws a pitch during the second inning against Western Harnett. (Kyle Pillar)
Starting the bottom of the fourth, rising eighth grader Caden Nolan led off with a walk and rising sophomore Tyler Graham hit a base knock to left, moving Nolan to third. Graham moved to second on a wild pitch, setting up an RBI single by Bryant to left.
With runners on second and third, Goodwin delivered in the next at-bat with a two-RBI single to left, plating Graham and Bryant to make it 9-0.
Three batters later, Hunsucker (single) scored when he stole home on a throw down to second. In the same at-bat, Faw reached on an error which saw Searcy (walk) score.
Capping the scoring was Faw on an error following a Taylor fly ball to center, and an RBI single by Thompson scored rising freshman Jason Walker (walk).
Taylor shut the door in the top of the fifth with his final two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice groundout to second.
“Damon had a couple of hard hit balls today, Zane had the RBI groundout early, Vance had a nice hit and Sam came through late with the RBI single,” Wallace said. “I was pleased with the number of guys who put the ball in play, even if they didn’t get a hit.
“The guys learned a lot from last week and are showing they know what to do in certain situations,” he closed.
Goodwin had a team-high two RBIs, with Bryant, Searcy and Thompson all adding one. Richmond didn’t have a strikeout at the plate, which Wallace said was a sign of growth.
The JV Renegades (3-1) will travel to Western Harnett on Tuesday, with play set to begin at 4:30 p.m.
